5 Best Places to Eat and Drink This Week in Metro Phoenix

Writer and blogger Kate Payne wants to help make your kitchen hip. And no, that doesn't mean having cutesy plates and matching window curtains. To this kitchen guru being hip is about making the most of everything you buy and learning to do some things -- like baking bread or making mayonnaise -- for yourself. Today Payne will be at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe to promote her book, The Hip Girl's Guide to the Kitchen. Starting at 7 p.m. she'll be doing a demo on fermenting pickles, while teaching knife skills. You'll also be able to purchase her book for $19.99. For more information check the Changing Hands website.

If you still haven't swung by Lindsey Magee's Ollie Vaughn's bakery and restaurant yet, here's a perfect excuse. Tonight the chef will be dropping some knowledge about summer peppers. In case you didn't know, we're in the middle of pepper season right now and Vaughn wants to make sure you're making good use of the bounty. The class, which costs $45, will include a lesson on how to identify peppers from the mild to the wild, as well as prepare Ollie Vaughn's infamous Jalapeno Marmalade and Salsa Verde. For more information call 602-625-3664 and keep an eye on the Ollie Vaughn's Facebook page for future class topics and dates.

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Havana CafeWednesday, July 2

The original Camelback location of this flavorful restaurant may have shuttered earlier this year, but don't forget that you can still get your Cuban-eat on at Havana Patio Cafe in north Scottsdale. On Wednesday nights the restaurant also offers special Wine Wednesday deals that include half off all bottles of wine from Spain, Portugal, and South America. Customers are even able to re-cork their bottles to take home after dinner. House wine is also available for $5 a glass.

Kym Ventola Photography, courtesy of MMPR Marketing

Independent's Week Pub CrawlThursday, July 3

All week Local First Arizona will be celebrating National Independent's Week. You can cash in on deals at local restaurants and shops with their Golden Coupon and on Thursday, you can get in one some boozy fun. The Independent's Week Pub Crawl will start at 8:00 p.m. at Phoenix Public Market Cafe before moving on to nearby dining and drinking spots such as Short Leash, FilmBar, Carly's, The Local, and Bliss/Rebar. Participants will get $4 drink specials and there will be trivia along the way. RSVP online for the free event.

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Cafe Lalibela at Whole FoodsAvailable now

Fans of Cafe Lalibela's vegan and gluten-free Ethiopian eats can now enjoy them without having to go to the Tempe restaurant. The family-run eatery has launched a line of retail products that are available now at Whole Foods locations in Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale, Camelback and Paradise Valley. The retail line, made daily in Tempe before being delivered to Whole Foods, includes: five wats, or stews, available for $5.99 each; a signature recipe injera, two 16" injera for $2.50; and the Misir Wrap made with red lentils and tikil gomen, a spiced mix of cabbage, carrots and potatoes wrapped in a tortilla for $3.99.